Trackable arrow

ABSTRACT

An arrow having a hollow body with a length of line present within the interior of the body is described. A hook is connected to the line. A portion of the line is saturated with marking chalk. The hook is positioned through a void in the nock of the arrow, at or near the rear of the arrow. As the arrow passes through the game, the hook attaches to the flesh of the animal. The game animal pulls the line from the arrow, allowing the hunter to track the game animal.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to archery generally, and is more directed to an arrow that assists in tracking game that has been shot by the arrow.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Tracking wounded game is a major problem for bow hunters. Frequently, game that is shot by an arrow released from a bow does not immediately die from the wound. The arrow may pass through the game, yet the arrow does not immediately kill the animal. The hunter is left to track the game by means of a trail of blood through an environment of woods, brush, vines, and other vegetation. It is very difficult for a human to traverse such an environment as quickly as the animal, and there may be little or no blood to follow, meaning that the wounded game may die without being found by the hunter.

[0003] The prior art reveals tracking devices that are built into arrows. Such tracking devices include strings or lines that are pulled from an arrow, as well as radio transmitters that are contained within an arrow. However, these devices have been less than satisfactory. The devices are difficult to reuse, adversely affect the trajectory of the arrow, and/or the devices are expensive to manufacture. The structural integrity of the arrow is reduced in some prior art devices that require holes to be formed in the shaft. These devices also have relatively large voids or crevices that allow water to enter the shaft of the arrow. Devices that have hooks near the front of the arrow and lines on the exterior of the arrow increase the likelihood of snagging the arrow on vegetation. Inserting the line near the front of the arrow may also interfere with the point of the arrow.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] The present invention is an arrow having a hollow body. A length of line is present within the interior of the body. A hook is connected to the line. The hook is positioned through a void in the nock of the arrow, at or near the rear of the arrow. As the arrow passes through the game, the hook attaches to the flesh of the arrow. The game pulls the line from the arrow, allowing the hunter to track the game. The arrow may be fired repeatedly as long as the hook does not engage a target.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005]FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the arrow of the present invention.

[0006]FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the arrow nock used with the present invention.

[0007]FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the arrow nock used with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Referring now to the drawing figures, FIG. 1 shows an arrow having a tip or point 2, a shaft or body 4, fletching 6, and a nock 8. The shaft is a hollow cylinder along all, or substantially all, of its length. The shaft may be formed of any suitable material, such as aluminum tubing, carbon tubing, or it may be formed of an aluminum core, wrapped with carbon fibers. The tip may be mounted by threading it into an insert 9 within the shaft.

[0009] The nock is inserted into the shaft, at the rear of the shaft. The nock is formed with a reduced diameter 14 at a portion of the nock that is inserted into the shaft. A hook 10 is inserted into the shaft at the rear of the shaft. In the preferred embodiment, the hook is inserted through a void that is present in the nock. When the nock is inserted into the shaft, the hook is positioned within the nock and extends into the shaft. As shown in FIG. 1, the nock is exploded away from the shaft. The shank of the hook is inserted through a hole in the nock, so that the shank rests within the nock. In this way, the hook does not interfere with the insertion of the nock within the shaft of the arrow. The barb of the hook extends to the exterior of the nock and the shaft, and is materially displaced from the nock and the shaft, so that the hook will engage and grasp the flesh of the animal that has been shot with the arrow. Alternatively, a slot could be formed in the nock, with the shank of the hook resting within the slot. A SUPER UNI NOCK manufactured by EASTON may be used, and modified to accept the hook.

[0010] A length of line 12 is coiled inside the arrow shaft. The line may be formed of fishing line or other material that is resistant to breaking as the line snags on vegetation or other articles. The line is preferred to be eight to ten pound test line. In a typical application, the shaft contains from 400 to 500 meters of line. All, or substantially all, of the line is contained within the arrow, and the line will not snag on vegetation or other objects either while the arrow is being carried, or during flight. The line may be coated with wax or other lubricants to enhance the release of the line from the arrow.

[0011] In one embodiment of the invention, the line is prewound within a container, which may be a wrapper formed from a sheet of material such as paper, metal foil or plastic. The container may be a foil wrapper 18 that is inserted into the shaft of the arrow. The container contains a prewound spool of line. The outside dimension of the container of line is no larger than the inside diameter of the shaft of the arrow, so that the line may be placed inside the shaft of the arrow, with one end of the line exiting the shaft of the arrow near the nock. The hook is inserted through the nock and connected to the line. The use of the container, such as the foil wrapper container, provides a convenient means for reloading the arrow with line. Wheter or not a container is used, the spool may be lightly coated with wax or a similar substance. If a container is not used, the wax holds the spool of line together for easy insertion into the arrow shaft. The container may be a canister that is preloaded with line.

[0012] The nock is inserted into the arrow in a fashion that is typical of nocks used in the prior art. The present invention does not require the use of any special or custom attachment of the nock. The nock has a void, such as a hole 16 or a slot, for receiving the hook, but is otherwise like nocks that are in common use. By inserting the hook through the nock, it is not necessary to provide a void in the shaft, which may reduce the structural integrity of the shaft. The nock and the hook may be secured with an adhesive or a sealant, such as a silicone sealant. The use of a sealant prevent water from entering the shaft of the arrow and being absorbed by the line, or if used, the tracking powder.

[0013] In the preferred embodiment, a luminescent or brightly colored powder is present within the arrow shaft, or within the container, if a container is used. The brightly colored powder, which may be chalk 20, attaches to the line. As the line is pulled along the ground by the game animal that has been shot, the brightly colored powder marks the ground, which further aids the hunter in tracking the game.

[0014] The arrow of the present invention is used in the same manner as arrows of the prior art. The arrow is fired by means of the bow. The arrow will pass through the target, which may be wild game. As the hook contacts the target, it is held within the target, while typically, the arrow passes through the animal. The hook and line are pulled from the shaft of the arrow, and are now connected by the line to the arrow. Wild game, after having been shot by the arrow, will begin to run, and will uncoil the line from the shaft of the arrow. In many cases, as the arrow strikes the ground, a tree or other vegetation, it will stick into such object so that the arrow is held in place, while the game pulls the lines from the shaft of the arrow. Alternatively, the arrow will likely snag upon vegetation as it is pulled by the game, which facilitates uncoiling of the line from the arrow. The hunter follows the line and tracks the game until the game is found. 

What is claimed:
 1. An arrow, comprising: a. a shaft, wherein at least a portion of said shaft is hollow; b. a length of line, wherein substantially all of said length of line is contained within said portion of said shaft that is hollow; c. a nock that is communicates with said shaft near a rear of said shaft; and d. a hook that is removably attached to said arrow, wherein said hook is positioned near said nock, wherein said hook is attached to said length of line.
 2. An arrow as described in claim 1, further comprising a marking material that is present on said line.
 3. An arrow as described in claim 2, wherein said marking material is chalk.
 4. An arrow as described in claim 2, wherein said marking material is present within portion of said shaft that is hollow
 5. An arrow as described in claim 4, wherein said marking material is chalk.
 6. An arrow as described in claim 1, wherein substantially all of said length of line is contained within a container, and wherein said container having said length of line therein is inserted into, and is contained within, said portion of said shaft that is hollow.
 7. An arrow as described in claim 6, wherein said container is a wrapper formed from a sheet of material.
 8. An arrow, comprising: a. a shaft, wherein at least a portion of said shaft is hollow; b. a length of line, wherein substantially all of said length of line is contained within said portion of said shaft that is hollow; c. a nock that is communicates with said shaft near a rear of said shaft; and d. a hook that is present within said nock, wherein said hook is attached to said length of line.
 9. An arrow as described in claim 8, wherein said hook is removably positioned within said nock.
 10. An arrow as described in claim 9, wherein said hook is positioned within a void that is present in said nock.
 11. An arrow as described in claim 8, further comprising a marking material that is present on said line.
 12. An arrow as described in claim 11, wherein said marking material is chalk.
 13. An arrow as described in claim 9, further comprising a marking material that is present on said line.
 14. An arrow as described in claim 13, wherein said marking material is chalk.
 15. An arrow as described in claim 11, wherein said marking material is present within portion of said shaft that is hollow.
 16. An arrow as described in claim 15, wherein said marking material is chalk.
 17. An arrow as described in claim 14, wherein said marking material is present within portion of said shaft that is hollow.
 18. An arrow as described in claim 8, wherein substantially all of said length of line is contained within a container, and wherein said container having said length of line therein is inserted into, and is present within, said portion of said shaft that is hollow.
 19. An arrow as described in claim 18, wherein said container is a wrapper formed from a sheet of material.
 20. An arrow as described in claim 19, wherein said hook is positioned within a void that is present in said nock. 